Reimer misses the mark in gun debate

Columnist Susan Reimer writes that the debate over banning assault weapons is really about race and gender ("Rage, resignation at gun control town hall," Feb. 7).

Five times in her column she describes opponents of banning assault rifles as white men and the victims of gun violence as African American. She even includes the statistic that 51 percent of people killed by guns are black. Anyone reading this article would deduce that white men are using assault rifles to kill African-Americans in large numbers.

Yet the facts are that most black people are killed by other black people. Ninety-three percent of blacks murdered in this country are killed by other blacks. And 98 percent of the firearms used in these killings are handguns, usually obtained illegally.

In short, white men are not killing blacks with assault rifles. The murder weapons being used are handguns that are already illegal.

Ms. Reimer's is so short on facts that I am surprised The Sun would print it. She describes "angry white men" as if it were a mob scene. I am a white man but I wasn't angry until I read this drivel.

I am not an NRA member, and I do not own an assault rifle. I do think something needs to be done to limit access of firearms to mentally ill people.

I also believe the proposed assault rifle legislation in Maryland and other states will do little to solve the problem we have with mass shootings. The problem is bigger than the availability of certain types of guns.